International Society of Folk Harpers and Craftsmen Intended to meet the need of the individual folk harper and builder for communication with his or her fellow artists, it began in 1980 out of the readership of the Folk Harp Journal and in 1985 it became a California nonprofit corporation. Today, with a yearly membership of almost sixteen hundred, it provides a focus for folk harp activities worldwide.

Grown from the needs of harpists - performers, teachers, and pupils, the American Harp Society is a tax-exempt, non profit corporation. Founded in 1962, membership in the Society is now over 3000 with chapters throughout the Americas.

Harp Spectrum is a 501(c)3 non-profit educational organization dedicated to gathering and sharing information about all kinds of harps and harp music. We are mainly composed of a group of harp players and harp music fans. Our article contributions come from harpists all over the world.

Frequently-Asked Questions

How hard is it to play the harp?

The simplest songs sound beautiful on the harp. Yes, even mistakes sound good on this very calming instrument. The red strings are Cs and the blue (dark) strings are Fs (View photo) which makes finding the notes fairly easy. The harp is no harder to play than any other musical instrument. Harp sheet music looks very similar to piano/keyboard sheet music.

How do you tune a harp?

If you are one of the blessed people in the world that has a great ear for music, you just need a tuning wrench. If you are like the rest of us, an electronic tuner makes tuning a harp so much easier. The cost for a good chromatic tuner is $25 - $40, at any music store.

How hard is it to replace a broken string?

Replacing a harp string is as easy as replacing a broken string on any instrument (guitar, violin, cello). There are instructions in most beginner harp books. It is best to have an extra set of strings for your harp. A broken string doesn't happen very often but when it does it can take a while to order a replacement. (View photo)

What is a lever harp?

Levers allow you to play sharps and flats (black notes on the piano) without taking the time to re-tune desired strings. The levers shorten the length of the string to raise the pitch by a half-step. Levers can only be installed after the harp is completely finished and strung.

What size of harp is best for a child or adult?

This is a personal decision. There was one woman who was 6' 2" and all she wanted was a 25 string harp, which she used as a lap harp. I have had customers that were barely 5' tall and they wanted the biggest harp they could purchase. There are many ways to adjust the height of either the harp or the harp player to a comfortable position.

Initially, some children feel intimidated by a large harp. In most situations, children can start on smaller harps (25 to 29 strings) and later make the decision to continue with the lever harp or move to the pedal harp. As the child grows the height of the harp or the seat can be adjusted
Most people who have played the piano/keyboard want a larger harp with two Cs below Middle C. This is because they are accustomed to a fuller bass range of music.